


Once and Future Kings

by corellianrogue



Series: A Step to the Left of Reality [4]
Category: Dong Bang Shin Ki
Genre: Implied or Off-stage Rape/Non-con, M/M, Multi, Power Imbalance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-11-23
Updated: 2012-11-23
Packaged: 2017-11-19 07:27:44
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,476
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/570726
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/corellianrogue/pseuds/corellianrogue
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>They knew it would be hard to break into the Japanese market. Just not this hard.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Once and Future Kings

**Author's Note:**

> Putting this here again in case people don't read the tags:
> 
>  **TRIGGER WARNING!:** non-consensual sexual activities, rape, power imbalances
> 
>  
> 
> Written for the 2011 hc_bingo challenge on LJ.

The parties were all the same. Show up, pretend to understand what the businessmen were laughing over, pose with the others for too many pictures, smile till it hurt, then go home.  
  
More or less.  
  
The first few times, it was exactly that, the five of them going back to the hostel that was the closest thing to home in this country, tired and grumpy but at least out from under the lights and the stares. They weren’t used to everything always seeming so... hostile.  
  
Until the day their manager pulled Jaejoong aside after dance practice which was after an interview which was after a long night of recording and more dance practice and language lessons, holding him back just long enough for the others to pile into the van first. “Jejung-kun,” he said.  
  
Jaejoong stared at him blankly, trying to force his brain to remember the words he needed in Japanese instead of Korean. “Uh... yes, hyung- I mean-”  
  
Their manager waved his stumbling attempt at a conversation away. “Don’t worry about it right now. Wear something especially nice at the party, tonight, hm? Extra special guests.” There was more, but Jaejoong’s brain felt like it had shut down hours ago and he only caught bits and pieces, words that didn’t really make sense, but he nodded anyway to show he was listening. He’d figure it out later, or not. As long as it meant he could get on the van now and go take a shower.  
  
He picked out one of the outfits he’d sort of maybe stolen from one of their photoshoots, Yoochun teasing him about it all the way out to the car. He said Yoochun had the fashion sense of a snail. Yoochun said he had the brain of one. Yunho sighed and said they were both idiots and could they please at least attempt to insult each other in Japanese for practice?  
  
They showed up to the party. There were businessmen. There were pictures. That was where the similarities ended. The other four were hustled into the van at the usual time, but questioning where Jaejoong was only got them a vague answer about talking to a prestigious representative, drama cameos, of course he was fine, but the others needed their sleep. He’d meet them at home.  
  
He met them at the studio the next morning.  
  
Their manager told them he’d been out partying too late and no one wanted to disturb the others so he’d slept at another manager’s house. He’d gotten less sleep than usual, though, so that was why he looked more not-there than usual. But it was just Jaejoong, right? He was always not-quite-right, so they shouldn’t worry, they should practice, they should be perfect so they could be famous.  
  
Their manager looked at Jaejoong as he emphasized that. Practice. Be perfect. Jaejoong nodded.  
  
He didn’t know what exactly happened the rest of the day, except that all their trainers were frustrated with him and his lack of enthusiasm and his lack of much of anything, really. He apologized. A lot. At least that wasn’t unusual, although the way the others stared more each time he did said maybe it was.  
  
It was six weeks and eight parties later -a few completely normal, too many with Extra Special Guests- before Yunho cornered him in their dressing room. They had a show to do. He had fingernail marks on his hips. He wondered if Yunho had noticed or if this was because of something else.  
  
“Jaejoong, are you okay?” Yunho was using Korean, which meant it was extra serious. He even tried to always yell at them in Japanese. For practice. Jaejoong was sick of Japanese. “You’ve been kind of... off lately.”  
  
He wanted to laugh, except he thought maybe he’d forgotten how in the last six weeks. But they were rising stars, and rising stars didn’t get anywhere without patrons. Their manager said so. Their manager wouldn’t look at him anymore. Their manager had told him that some of the Extra Special Guests had liked him so much last night that they wanted to invited him to a private gala at one of their old family estates. If he went, there’d be an endorsement and a sponsor and eventual fame and fortune and everyone living happily ever after.  
  
He looked Yunho directly in the left eyebrow and mustered a small smile. “I’m fine.”  
  
Yunho didn’t believe him, but Yunho dropped it because they had a show to do.  
  
Six more weeks and ten new parties, only half of which the others were even invited to, later, Yunho cornered him again, more determined this time. Jaejoong knew he was serious because he brought Yoochun with him for backup. They were home for once, and Jaejoong just wanted to be able to go to bed and actually sleep. “Can whatever it is wait until morning?”  
  
It almost worked. Yoochun looked like he’d happily turn around right then and leave him alone, but Yunho was always more perceptive than he needed to be when it came to all of them. Although not perceptive enough, if it took three months. “Sorry, Jaejoong. Not this time.”  
  
He shut the door and Jaejoong tensed in reflex. Yunho all but threw his hands up and sighed. “See? That. That’s what I mean. You’re not okay, and you need to tell us what it is so we can fix it.”  
  
Yunho probably really believed he could fix it, too. Jaejoong scoffed and laid down, turning his back to them and hoping they’d take the hint. Of course they didn’t. A weight settled behind him and the hand on his shoulder was too hesitant to be Yunho. Yoochun, then. “You talk in your sleep sometimes now, hyung. When you ever get any sleep. You say... things.”  
  
A pause, like they really expected him to answer.  
  
Yoochun cleared his throat. “Sometimes it sounds like... like someone’s...”  
  
He flinched, curling into a ball. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”  
  
Another weight on the bed and a hand in his hair. He jerked away, sitting up before either of them could move. There was silence, and then Yunho finally spoke up. “If one of the managers-”  
  
He laughed. Oh, he laughed. How could he not? Of all things, their managers were possibly the only men in the Japanese entertainment industry who hadn’t done anything to him yet. “Stop saying stupid things.”  
  
They were going to be big stars. He’d been promised that much. As big as in Korea, or bigger. He just needed to play along. Just for a little while longer. He didn’t realize he was crying until he was pulled backwards into a giant hug. He broke down, leaning into the warmth of his bandmates. He didn’t even know whose shoulder he was crying into. He just couldn’t help it. He needed to do this. They needed him to do this. But he didn’t want to. He didn’t want to anymore. He never wanted to go to another party as long as he lived.  
  
He could hear voices talking over his head. Yunho and Yoochun and maybe Changmin, too, now. He didn’t look up to check. He couldn’t. If he did, no matter what he saw, he knew he’d still have a party to go to tomorrow night and before that, shows and rehearsals and interviews and too little sleep. So he stayed there, safe, where there was only warmth and familiar blankets and familiar people and no one who wanted anything from him at all.  
  
They were going to be big stars. The biggest, maybe. He couldn’t let them ruin that because they were worried about him. Except he couldn’t stop crying, which wasn’t going to make them stop worrying, and worrying them only made him feel worse and cry harder. Yunho was murmuring something about taking care of him and talking to management and maybe getting themselves a few days off or a visit home.  
  
Would they let him go home? Or would they send the others and tell them he was ‘sightseeing’ around Japan while they were gone?  
  
Maybe he could tell Yunho. Just Yunho, not the others. Maybe that would be okay. But maybe he’d do that later. Or maybe not at all. They were all going to be famous. Legends. He just needed to do this a little while longer, and it would be okay. Then they’d be so famous no one could touch them. No one could touch him.  
  
He felt himself being shifted but found himself too lethargic to care. He wanted to ask them to stay, but warm bodies settled on either side of him before he got a chance. For the first time in three months, he felt safe.  
  
Just a few more months. Then they’d be stars. Then they’d be safe. He could do that.


End file.
